The following is an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s final essay, A Testament of Hope:
People are often surprised to learn that I am an optimist. They know how often I have been jailed, how frequently the days and nights have been filled with frustration and sorrow, how bitter and dangerous are my adversaries. They expect these experiences to harden me into a grim and desperate man.
They fail, however, to perceive the sense of affirmation generated by the challenge of embracing struggle and surmounting obstacles. They have no comprehension of the strength that comes from faith in God and man.
It is possible for me to falter, but I am profoundly secure in my knowledge that God loves us; he has not worked out a design for our failure. Man has the capacity to do right as well as wrong, and his history is a path upward, not downward.
The past is strewn with the ruins of the empires of tyranny, and each is a monument not merely to man’s blunders but to his capacity to overcome them. While it is a bitter fact that in America in 1968, I am denied equality solely because I am black, yet I am not a chattel slave. Millions of people have fought thousands of battles to enlarge my freedom; restricted as it still is, progress has been made.
This is why I remain an optimist, though I am also a realist, about the barriers before us. Why is the issue of equality still so far from solution in America, a nation that professes itself to be democratic, inventive, hospitable to new ideas, rich, productive and awesomely powerful?
The problem is so tenacious because, despite its virtues and attributes, America is deeply racist and its democracy is flawed both economically and socially. All too many Americans believe justice will unfold painlessly or that its absence for black people will be tolerated tranquilly. Justice for black people will not flow into society merely from court decisions nor from fountains of political oratory. Nor will a few token changes quell all the tempestuous yearnings of millions of disadvantaged black people.
White America must recognize that justice for black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society. The comfortable, the entrenched, the privileged cannot continue to tremble at the prospect of change in the status quo.
oratory. Nor will a few token changes quell all the tempestuous yearnings of millions of disadvantaged black people.
White America must recognize that justice for black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society. The comfortable, the entrenched, the privileged cannot continue to tremble at the prospect of change in the status quo.
Prognosticators prove mostly wrong ... mostly ... but sharp eyes with a keen sense of history sometimes discern a scenario emerging ...
Your thoughtful friend isn't suggesting anything new in the behavior of nations, but only reminding us that this is how history plays itself out. Those who foolishly violate the boundaries and international laws sooner or later trigger appropriate responses, because every nation is committed to its own preservation.
I hate to think what might happen, but just a few moments ago, I listened to a Murrow/Shirer broadcast from London and Berlin at the conclusion of the Munich Conference. As the story unfolds, the worst happens ... and the shattered pieces of WW2 continue to cast a long shadow over the world.
I hope your friend is wrong, but there's nothing in his piece that's absurd or extreme - this is a plausible scenario - this is how nations behave ... how the cookie crumbles, how the dominoes fall.
A great and dire warning. The metaphor of a grenade is so apt. My father, a WWII veteran, served in the Army Air Command in Europe for two years during the war. He supported the creation of NATO fully as the intercontinental alliance of peace ad security. We grew up know what this security meant. Congressional members of both parties know this too. But they refuse to reign in this tyrant. This is no different than Russia invading Ukraine.
Today's weather is a good description of what would happen; severely cold, subzero temps and high wind chills from all other nations. We would sit in our own arctic isolation. It wouldn't be pretty. I'm calling all my legislators and then some (again) today and reiterate all the points you make. Thank you for this.
Here is the full text of the deranged letter our pedophile president sent.
Republicans are the only ones who can stop this madness on a dime.
He has been severely mentally ill for many years exacerbated by his enablers.
"“Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.
“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.
“I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”
You don't want to hear my theory of how current class warfare is based on intelligence levels. (I'm not alone.)
There used to be a comic strip, which I can't remember or find now, that featured a theme "The land of the tiny-brained folk."
And you really don't want to know about this:
"The parasite linked to cats that affects behavior is Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis and can alter hosts' behaviors, famously making infected rodents less fearful of cats (increasing their chances of being eaten) and potentially causing subtle changes in human personality, impulsivity, and mental health."
It is thought to affect not only individual humans but even nations or regions.
The infection is common, with estimates suggesting up to half of people might be infected, often without symptoms.
Once infected, the parasite usually stays in the body for life in a dormant (latent) form, but can still influence the brain. (My second favorite organ, by the way.)
And also don't ask me about the long overdue reversal of earth's magnetic field.
Millions of Americans and citizens abroad are being requested to “walk out” as part of a coordinated effort led by nationwide event organizers to rebuke the Trump administration and display “escalating resistance to authoritarian policies and violence.”
The walkout differs in theory to other anti-Trump protests held throughout 2025, notably “No Kings” rallies that galvanized the president’s detractors and brought millions of Americans out in both blue and red cities and states.
Instead, activists are being encouraged to organize literal walkouts—from schools, city halls, local courthouses and capitals, as well as marching to federal buildings, holding vigils “for the freedoms Americans have lost,” and sit-ins.
Not sure the outcome will be that draconian, but what do I know? Even partially it's an alarming scenario and so unnecessary. We already have a military base there and I'm sure could easily make a deal on any minerals we might covet. The main reason this seems to be happening is that Trump doesn't like to hear the word 'no' and throws a tantrum. Sadly, his caretakers, scared to lose their jobs, go along with it. No outrage these days seems to be outrageous to some.
ITS really 25th Amendment time.after the Dearborn F Bomb and the stated objective of taking Greenland and killing NATO while telling Norway its about not receiving the Nobel Prize .Do you think its obvious that this guy is mental? Its time to start a new campaign to use the 25th Amendment to declare a serious mental health problem. To replace NATO he is proposing a "Peace Compact" with a price. His threats are worse. John Roberts should show some leadership before its too late.
Oh. Hadn’t thought of all this. Volunteering to help settle Mars looks a bit saner today.
The following is an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s final essay, A Testament of Hope:
People are often surprised to learn that I am an optimist. They know how often I have been jailed, how frequently the days and nights have been filled with frustration and sorrow, how bitter and dangerous are my adversaries. They expect these experiences to harden me into a grim and desperate man.
They fail, however, to perceive the sense of affirmation generated by the challenge of embracing struggle and surmounting obstacles. They have no comprehension of the strength that comes from faith in God and man.
It is possible for me to falter, but I am profoundly secure in my knowledge that God loves us; he has not worked out a design for our failure. Man has the capacity to do right as well as wrong, and his history is a path upward, not downward.
The past is strewn with the ruins of the empires of tyranny, and each is a monument not merely to man’s blunders but to his capacity to overcome them. While it is a bitter fact that in America in 1968, I am denied equality solely because I am black, yet I am not a chattel slave. Millions of people have fought thousands of battles to enlarge my freedom; restricted as it still is, progress has been made.
This is why I remain an optimist, though I am also a realist, about the barriers before us. Why is the issue of equality still so far from solution in America, a nation that professes itself to be democratic, inventive, hospitable to new ideas, rich, productive and awesomely powerful?
The problem is so tenacious because, despite its virtues and attributes, America is deeply racist and its democracy is flawed both economically and socially. All too many Americans believe justice will unfold painlessly or that its absence for black people will be tolerated tranquilly. Justice for black people will not flow into society merely from court decisions nor from fountains of political oratory. Nor will a few token changes quell all the tempestuous yearnings of millions of disadvantaged black people.
White America must recognize that justice for black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society. The comfortable, the entrenched, the privileged cannot continue to tremble at the prospect of change in the status quo.
Continued:
oratory. Nor will a few token changes quell all the tempestuous yearnings of millions of disadvantaged black people.
White America must recognize that justice for black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society. The comfortable, the entrenched, the privileged cannot continue to tremble at the prospect of change in the status quo.
Did he say Black people? As far as I know, he stuck with Negroes.
Thanks Jack for sharing this ...
Prognosticators prove mostly wrong ... mostly ... but sharp eyes with a keen sense of history sometimes discern a scenario emerging ...
Your thoughtful friend isn't suggesting anything new in the behavior of nations, but only reminding us that this is how history plays itself out. Those who foolishly violate the boundaries and international laws sooner or later trigger appropriate responses, because every nation is committed to its own preservation.
I hate to think what might happen, but just a few moments ago, I listened to a Murrow/Shirer broadcast from London and Berlin at the conclusion of the Munich Conference. As the story unfolds, the worst happens ... and the shattered pieces of WW2 continue to cast a long shadow over the world.
I hope your friend is wrong, but there's nothing in his piece that's absurd or extreme - this is a plausible scenario - this is how nations behave ... how the cookie crumbles, how the dominoes fall.
A great and dire warning. The metaphor of a grenade is so apt. My father, a WWII veteran, served in the Army Air Command in Europe for two years during the war. He supported the creation of NATO fully as the intercontinental alliance of peace ad security. We grew up know what this security meant. Congressional members of both parties know this too. But they refuse to reign in this tyrant. This is no different than Russia invading Ukraine.
Today's weather is a good description of what would happen; severely cold, subzero temps and high wind chills from all other nations. We would sit in our own arctic isolation. It wouldn't be pretty. I'm calling all my legislators and then some (again) today and reiterate all the points you make. Thank you for this.
Here is the full text of the deranged letter our pedophile president sent.
Republicans are the only ones who can stop this madness on a dime.
He has been severely mentally ill for many years exacerbated by his enablers.
"“Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.
“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.
“I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”
Thank you. The prosecution rests, uneasily
You don't want to hear my theory of how current class warfare is based on intelligence levels. (I'm not alone.)
There used to be a comic strip, which I can't remember or find now, that featured a theme "The land of the tiny-brained folk."
And you really don't want to know about this:
"The parasite linked to cats that affects behavior is Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis and can alter hosts' behaviors, famously making infected rodents less fearful of cats (increasing their chances of being eaten) and potentially causing subtle changes in human personality, impulsivity, and mental health."
It is thought to affect not only individual humans but even nations or regions.
The infection is common, with estimates suggesting up to half of people might be infected, often without symptoms.
Once infected, the parasite usually stays in the body for life in a dormant (latent) form, but can still influence the brain. (My second favorite organ, by the way.)
And also don't ask me about the long overdue reversal of earth's magnetic field.
But, have a great day!
🙄
How many millions of years it took to develop language, and yet here we are.
Millions of Americans and citizens abroad are being requested to “walk out” as part of a coordinated effort led by nationwide event organizers to rebuke the Trump administration and display “escalating resistance to authoritarian policies and violence.”
The walkout differs in theory to other anti-Trump protests held throughout 2025, notably “No Kings” rallies that galvanized the president’s detractors and brought millions of Americans out in both blue and red cities and states.
Instead, activists are being encouraged to organize literal walkouts—from schools, city halls, local courthouses and capitals, as well as marching to federal buildings, holding vigils “for the freedoms Americans have lost,” and sit-ins.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2026/01/18/fifty-state-free-america-walkout-targets-trump-ice-us-militarization.html
Thank you
Not sure the outcome will be that draconian, but what do I know? Even partially it's an alarming scenario and so unnecessary. We already have a military base there and I'm sure could easily make a deal on any minerals we might covet. The main reason this seems to be happening is that Trump doesn't like to hear the word 'no' and throws a tantrum. Sadly, his caretakers, scared to lose their jobs, go along with it. No outrage these days seems to be outrageous to some.
Wow. That really puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?
ITS really 25th Amendment time.after the Dearborn F Bomb and the stated objective of taking Greenland and killing NATO while telling Norway its about not receiving the Nobel Prize .Do you think its obvious that this guy is mental? Its time to start a new campaign to use the 25th Amendment to declare a serious mental health problem. To replace NATO he is proposing a "Peace Compact" with a price. His threats are worse. John Roberts should show some leadership before its too late.
We get this, but do the MAGATs? One needs to have operational frontal lobes, to grasp the gravity of these scenarios.